tomkirkman : Removing front driving flange

[PseudoZone]

Removing front driving flange
Post by tomkirkman on May 26, 2006, 12:56pm

Anybody got any tricks for getting the front driving flange off the wheel hub? I've beat, banged, wedged, etc., and it appears that these have become hermetically sealed over the years. Thanks.

[brute4c]

Re: Removing front driving flange
Post by brute4c on May 26, 2006, 1:00pm

They can be a royal pain....I had to resort to a sharp chisel in several places around the edge to get them to start...be careful though as you dont want to score the mounting surface of those...it just adds to the problem but it has to be...

If you have heat, you could try that...I didnt when I did mine...but of course theirs grease in there...

[Barrman]

Re: Removing front driving flange
Post by barrman on May 26, 2006, 3:10pm

Try the chisel to the outside edge method first. If that doesn't get you anywhere, use a big hammer to hit the middle of the flange. By hitting it toward the axle, you might loosen it up enough to try the punch again.

[PseudoZone]

Re: Removing front driving flange
Post by tomkirkman on May 26, 2006, 6:29pm

Beat on it for nearly 5 hours today. It won't budge.

Probably sleep on it and see what other ideas I can think of. If nothing, I'll just swap out the front axle with one I can get the flanges off of.

[hiker]

Re: Removing front driving flange
Post by hiker on May 26, 2006, 8:54pm

How about double nutting the studs and removing a few or all of them to give you more wiggle room? Maybe remove the longer ones that you can get two nuts on.
Robert

[kwai]

Re: Removing front driving flange
Post by kwai on May 26, 2006, 11:09pm

Remove the studs and you will be able to remove the flange easier. I was working on mine today as well. Beat on it for about 20 min before dinner called. Next step for me is to remove the studs.

[PseudoZone]

Re: Removing front driving flange
Post by tomkirkman on May 27, 2006, 8:34am

The studs aren't really in my way. Even so, I can't take anything else off until I get the drive flange off. It has to come off, first.

I may try drilling out the center cap and then seeing if I can get something fastened to the drive flange lip from the inside and pull.

[PseudoZone]

Re: Removing front driving flange
Post by amphi on May 27, 2006, 10:29am

Like others have said --- remove the studs and if they get ruined they can be easily replaced with bolts --- mine has two studs each wheel and the rest are bolts -- think barrman said he has all bolts.

Soak it real good with PB penetrating oil. Try to get it to rotate or twist. If it is drivable put it in 4 wheel on a hard surface and make some circles – load-up the drive train – get it to twist. Or --- get a big pipe wrench with a cheater bar and give it a twist.

If you hurt it not to worry because I believe there are many out there to be had --- like mine --- because I just put on locking hubs.

Just looked at mine and there is very little metal to metal surface -- small area where they index into to the hub --- the rest is gasket. Should be able to get the PB penetrating oil thru the stud holes to this area.

Hope this helps

Gary


Edit: Added:

Maybe a hit a drift pin real hard in one of the stud holes --- to get it to rotate!!

[brute4c]

Re: Removing front driving flange
Post by brute4c on May 27, 2006, 3:20pm

Just a note...for those who switch to the selectable drive hubs...I always carry the stock drive hubs when I wheel...the selectable one can...and occasionally do...break...the stock flanges still work and can save the day in such a situation...

[PseudoZone]

Re: Removing front driving flange
Post by tomkirkman on May 27, 2006, 4:03pm

Just out of curiousity, how did you get the studs out without removing the driving flange? Are you jamming two nuts together and then reversing the rotation?

Plenty of penetrating oil has been on them for a week. Beat on them for another 2 hours today and nothing has moved.